God's king

[0:00] It reminds us that we're a church family, not church professionals, are we? Great. Next year, we're going to witness a coronation in this country.

[0:15] ! As King Charles III will be crowned king in a service at Westminster Abbey. And I was looking at what happens at coronations, and I found one of the symbols particularly interesting.

[0:31] It's this. It's called the Sovereignty Orb. And it's got a cross above a globe, and it represents Christ's dominion over the world.

[0:45] But as the monarch is given this, apparently the archbishop will say, or certainly has said, whether this changes or not, I don't know, next year.

[0:59] But he has traditionally said, receive this orb set under the cross, and remember the whole world is subject to the power and empire of Christ, our Redeemer.

[1:13] Isn't that great? The monarch is seen as God's representative on earth, the ruler under the sovereignty of Jesus Christ, the King.

[1:28] But how did that all begin? How do we get to Jesus being King in the Bible? I'm going to whiz through a few Old Testament passages.

[1:42] You're welcome to turn to them if you want, but they will be on the screen, although don't trust everything that I put on the screen, I think is a lesson we're learning. God promises this to Sarah, Abraham's wife.

[1:58] I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations. Kings of people will come from her.

[2:09] This is before they have their son Isaac. And even then, God is promising that even kings are going to come from Abraham's line.

[2:24] Later on in Genesis, Genesis 49, Jacob blesses his sons and says, The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come, and the obedience of the nation shall be his.

[2:42] Judah, he is promised a descendant who will rule over all the nations forever.

[2:54] But currently, having a king isn't the situation that God's people are in. That's in the end of Genesis. So, but God provides some instructions for when they do.

[3:14] And so we are going to turn to Deuteronomy 17 for just a few minutes. We're going to read it, and then we'll chat together in groups for a few minutes.

[3:28] Deuteronomy 17. Hopefully I've got this one right. Deuteronomy 17, 14 to 20.

[3:42] God says to his people, When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, and have taken possession of it, and have settled in it, and you say, Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us.

[4:01] Be sure to appoint a king over you that the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite.

[4:17] The king, moreover, must acquire great numbers of horses for himself, or make the people... Sorry, the king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself, or make the people return to Egypt to get even more of them.

[4:35] For the Lord has told you, you are not to go back that way again. He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

[4:47] When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God, and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees, and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites, and turn from the law to the right or to the left.

[5:18] Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel. Have a chat in groups.

[5:29] What should a king do? What shouldn't a king do? Or who should a king be? Who shouldn't a king be? Have a chat, and then we'll fill in the board.

[5:44] And shouldn't be. What did you get? Maybe we'll fill in the shouldn't. First.

[5:59] So, yeah, mustn't be a foreigner. Yeah, absolutely. Not a foreigner. So, therefore, he should be an Israelite.

[6:15] Yeah. Other things? Oh. Did you say the same thing?

[6:27] Amazing. Amazing. Not many horses. There's donkeys in there? Wives.

[6:45] Yeah, certainly wives. Yeah. Yeah. No allowed to Egypt.

[6:59] No allowed. Yeah, not go back to Egypt. Yeah. Yeah. Silver and gold. Silver and gold.

[7:10] Absolutely. Absolutely. There's no way. Pointing out that it's so important to be honored for the Lord, isn't it?

[7:24] All those things. For all those things. That's it. And it's also going to help with the next bit.

[7:36] Rachel said something good in our group. I don't know if you want to share it, about turning right to the left. You can if you want. So, if he is daily reading the Lord and the church, the right to the left, then he's going to be focused on God and not be distracted by these things that are going to be finished straight.

[7:55] Yeah. Posting all the things that are daily. So. Yeah.

[8:06] It really is. It really is. So, what are some of those things that he needs to do in that second little section about the law? What's he going to do?

[8:17] Write. Write out. Write out the law. Yeah. Read it each day. Yeah. And follow what he wants to do.

[8:35] It's read the law, doesn't it? Yeah. Fear or revere, it says in my one.

[8:52] Not considering. Yeah. Not considering himself more important. Yeah. Yeah. absolutely more important and God's God's choice cool I think we've got more or less anything blatantly obvious we've missed have a check cool we're going to fill in more of this board in a little while hopefully there we go so as we as you go on through the Bible beyond

[9:59] Deuteronomy you get to the book of Judges and in the book of Judges you kind of have this endless cycle it feels like of people doing as they see fit going their own way they cry out to God God sends a judge a ruler a bit like a forerunner to a king kind of a military leader things are okay for a bit deliverance comes and then things turn back around again and the judges themselves as you read through the book of Judges you see how flawed those judges are Samson a bit of a womanizer Japheth killing his own daughter and so at the end of the book of Judges we're left longing for something better longing for a king in those days Israel had no king everyone did as they saw fit and then enters

[11:02] Samuel the final greatest judge of Israel but he appoints he then towards the end of his life appoints his sons as judges but they're wicked and do not follow the Lord as they should so people come to Samuel and they say you are old and your sons do not follow your ways now appoint a king over us such as the nations have and it's not wrong that they asked for a king God has made provisions for this but if you read more of verses around that in this request they've rejected God as their ultimate king and they want to be just like the nations around them but nonetheless

[12:05] God does grant them their request and he appoints king Saul but God's people weren't blessed under Saul's rule he wasn't someone who particularly obeyed God as we've seen a king should and so God rejects him as king and anoints David as his chosen king David probably being one of the most unlikely out of all of his brothers to be a king the youngest the one who Samuel doesn't even look at till towards the end who's out looking after sheep but that continues a pattern that you see in the Bible of God choosing the younger over the older the weaker over the stronger think of Jacob and Esau particularly

[13:06] God looks intently at the heart rather than outer appearances rather than what's obvious to us and he does that throughout the Bible he even does that as we see the Lord Jesus coming as a child as a helpless baby which is something we're particularly thinking of over this next month a very unlikely thing for the salvation of the world you would think but yet this is God's way of doing things so David eventually becomes king goes through quite a lot before he does but he does and his men conquer Jerusalem and they bring the ark into Jerusalem the ark of the covenant God's dwelling is now there in Jerusalem with his people and we've read Katie has kindly read to us from 2

[14:07] Samuel chapter 7 so we'll spend just a little bit of time there so you probably want to turn to that to Samuel chapter 7 not 1 Samuel chapter 7 and we get here some significant promises made and there are definitely I think some echoes of the Abrahamic promises God has not forgotten those so here we are talks about a people he talks about David's name being great verse 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone I have cut off all your enemies before you now I will make your name great like the names of the greatest men on air he talks as well about raising up an offspring continuing

[15:12] David's line when your days are over and you rest with your ancestors I will raise up your offspring to succeed you your own flesh and blood and I will establish his kingdom he talks about place in these verses he talks about God's place so verse five Nathan comes to David and says this is what the Lord says are you are you the one to build me a house to dwell in I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day I've been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling wherever I have moved with all the Israelites did I ever say any one of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people why have you not built a house of cedar we could continue but

[16:17] God is talking to David and saying that a place is going to be built for me a more permanent place in Jerusalem in verse 10 it says I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them he's going to give his people a home as well a more permanent home where they can dwell in continuing to be faithful to the promises that he's given to Abraham and God was going to be the one to bring this about David was not going to be the one who was going to build this house for him elsewhere we read of David shedding too much blood in war so it's going to be his offspring a promised offspring who will do that but David is pretty blown away that God is going to do this through him and his line if we sneak down to verse 18 who are my sovereign lord and what is my family that you've brought me this far and as if this were not enough in your sight sovereign lord you've also spoken to me about the future of the house of your servant and this decree sovereign lord is for a mere human

[17:45] David recognizes his humanness before the lord who is he that the sovereign lord should fulfill his promises through David and yet God is choosing to do that and it's very much God at work and finally blessing God promised Abraham blessing for him and his descendants and we certainly see that in these verses towards the end of verse 10 it tells us that wicked people shall not oppress them anymore as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel I will give you rest from your enemies a time of peace and blessing and a throne is going to be established forever the blessing of a secure kingdom which will involve a throne being established forever great promises by the great sovereign lord of heaven and there's lots of promises there's lots here about offspring being coming up to succeed

[19:14] David and to establish his kingdom sometimes people might pin hopes on their children maybe a parent who's never had the privilege of going to university maybe they pin their hopes on their son or daughter that they're going to make it and they're going to do what I couldn't do or maybe a parent who's never been able to play an instrument they're going to be such a great keyboard player or guitar player hopes resting on children but here in these promises hopes are resting on an offspring on an offspring to come who's going to be a ruler whose throne will be established forever and the question I haven't referred to it yet today but the question we've said each week that we're saying the

[20:16] Bible is answering is you probably have forgot it's been three weeks how can humanity dwell with God forever again and God is working that out in a future offspring of David one of David's own flesh and blood and God says that his love will never be taken away from him his house his kingdom will endure his throne will stand forever an offspring with great expectations laid upon him a king who can't mess up a king who can't lose the throne who's it going to be is it going to be David's son Solomon who succeeds him as king Solomon certainly started his rule well he got to choose whatever he wanted to ask from the Lord and he asked God for wisdom out of all the things he could have asked for he asked for wisdom and nobody had wisdom like Solomon really and Solomon he got the building of the temple going he saw the temple building completed

[21:33] God being able to dwell in a permanent place among his people it's on the screen in 1 Kings 4 verse 20 we read this the people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore they ate they drank and they were happy that reminds us of words God spoke to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the sea shore God was really blessing Solomon and his kingdom it's a kind of high point of Israel they lived in great safety and in peace which is what God promised to David in 2 Samuel 7 if we turn to 1 Kings chapter 10 for a moment 1 Kings chapter 10 verse 6 to 8 someone want to read just read loudly 1 Kings 10 6 to 8

[23:03] Maria will thank you this is the queen of Sheba yeah God's king the queen of Sheba visits he heard about she heard about Solomon and his fame and his relationship with the Lord and she comes and has a look for herself and sees that it's all true how great this kingdom is how great Solomon's wisdom is how happy people must be and she says praise to the Lord who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel he's made him king but Solomon Solomon failed in verse in verse 14 we read about the weight of gold that

[24:14] Solomon received was 666 talents not including the revenues from the merchants and trading and all the Arabian kings and from the governors and from the territories Solomon was amassing a lot of riches which is that something God wanted from a king not particularly no let's put let's just put S for Solomon he's failing not only in that but 11 chapter 11 verse 1 no chapter 10 26 verse Solomon accumulated chariots and horses he had 1400 chariots and 12 000 horses was that was that something no chapter 11 verse 1 king

[25:15] Solomon however loved many foreign women besides pharaoh's daughter does this sound like no no no I think I think we can very safely put an X in this is not the king who was going to rule and reign on David's throne forever we see those promises to David in in to Samuel 7 certainly partially fulfilled in Solomon but Solomon Solomon does fail there is no doubting the wonderful splendor and blessing of Solomon's kingdom but he's human and he fails there was an interesting comment in in the promises to David in 2

[26:15] Samuel 7 that when about when a king does wrong there were provisions for that in these promises so that Solomon as he comes as the next offspring of David he does do wrong verse 14 of 2 Samuel 7 God said when he does wrong I will punish him with a rod wielded by men with floggings inflicted by human hands there were provisions for a king doing wrong and God would deal with that but this isn't the king who's going to last forever soon after Solomon died his son even Rehoboam became king the nation divided

[27:18] Judah the southern kingdom made of the two tribes Israel the northern kingdom made of ten tribes the kingdom was divided there were a few good kings in Judah Josiah Hezekiah to name a couple but none like the one prophesied in T Samuel 7 and so the world was left waiting for a greater king David's greater son and prophets spoke of him I wasn't here this morning but I believe you looked at Isaiah chapter 9 which says of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end he will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever the zeal of the Lord almighty will accomplish this in

[28:19] Daniel 7 Daniel sees a vision at night and he looked and there before him was one like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven he approached the ancient of days and was led into his glorious presence he was given authority glory and sovereign power all nations and people of his dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed the prophets look forward to this great forever king it's not until in the new testament that we find that great forever king let's have a look in Matthew for just a few minutes Matthew chapter one we get into the new testament and kind of expected to begin in great triumph and wonders but it actually begins with a list of names which

[29:24] I have to say I don't find particularly thrilling until I sit down and look through them and think actually there are thrilling things in those lists of names and particularly in this one it begins the very first words of Matthew this is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of who David the son of Abraham we're seeing as we get into the New Testament these things in the Old Testament the promises to Abraham of a descendant the promises to David of a future offspring who will reign on his throne forever we're seeing that all come together in this very first verse of Matthew this is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David so maybe maybe we can give

[30:25] Jesus a tick for these things but let's let's just think for a few more moments don't want to spoil this so we've seen that verse at the beginning of Matthew which points us to Jesus being the great promised son of Abraham and of David and then the child is born something which again we'll be thinking a lot of over the next month we thought last week of those promises in Isaiah 7 of Emmanuel God with us that's who this child that's who this Jesus is and when I was thinking just this last week of Jesus being God with us I was thinking after the queen died back in

[31:26] September many praised king child for how he was grieving in public and there was a moment when him and his wife Camilla were going driving into Buckingham Palace and they stopped and they got out and they shook hands with the public they were with us in the morning in the grieving Jesus is the king with us he's left his throne in heaven to be found as a weak and helpless baby on earth and even as a baby other kings found him pretty terrifying and a threat we see that in Matthew chapter 2 as the magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked where is the one who was being born king of the Jews we saw his star when it rose and want to worship him and so verse 3 king heard heard of this and he was disturbed and all of Jerusalem with him when he called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law he asked them where the

[32:31] Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem in Judea they replied for this is what the prophet has written but you Bethlehem in the land of Judah are by no means least among the rulers of Judah for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people I won't read any further but Herod finds this rather threatening to him as a king and even in the gifts that the magi bring to Jesus in the gold they bring gold because this is a king this is a king that they're coming before Matthew 12 42 there's a little verse which mentions Solomon Matthew 12 42 does someone want to shout that verse out

[33:31] Matthew 12 42 I'm just going to check that I've definitely got you the right verse I have got you the right verse condemn it hmm Jesus takes us back to Solomon who we've just seen and his great kingdom but there was just a little foretaste a shadow of even greater glories to come under Christ the king even greater peace prosperity greater wisdom greater power and it's in in Christ that humanity is able to dwell forever with

[34:34] God again a king who makes a way through the cross and the resurrection and who has ascended into heaven but just so we we agree or do we agree do we think that that Jesus meets meets these expectations for a king and maybe more anyone disagree anyone want to comment before I give a tick it's okay not a foreigner he was born in two yeah yeah absolutely I'll put a tick I think we can very safely and wonderfully put a tick let's go to the very last book of the bible before we wrap up revelation five wonderfully this came up in my quiet time this morning oh that's that's fun that's what we're looking at this evening verse four

[36:00] John says I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside then one of the elders said to me do not weep see the lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David has triumphed he is able to open the scrolls and its seals what do we see there that points to Jesus being a king what do we see there that points to Jesus being a king yeah yeah yeah root of David from from David and the lion of the tribe of Judah as well in Genesis 49 we had a look at a verse which said that a ruler would come out of the tribe of

[37:01] Judah and that is the Lord Jesus who has triumphed and so verse 9 they sing a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals because you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation you have made them a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on verse 13 to him who sits on the throne to the lamb be praise and glory forever and ever amen Jesus reigns on the throne forever and ever and it's to to him that we worship as the king of all kings and so this symbol that will be present at the coronation of our new king next year we can remember the Lord

[38:13] Jesus the Lord Jesus who reigns as king over all kings over all the worlds and it's him that we get to serve it's him that we get to bow down in humble worship before and it's to a king that we get to pray as an old hymn puts it you are you're coming to a king large petitions with you bring so it would be good to spend a few minutes in prayer time has gone way way further on than I thought it would be good to just share a few things for prayer and we'll spend just a few moments praying together before we sing to close and what are some things particularly people I think that we can be praying for well and thank you Thank you.